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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27992640">Focus on the Light</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AShortWalkToDelinquency/pseuds/AShortWalkToDelinquency'>AShortWalkToDelinquency</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>12 days of XXXmas [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>69 (Sex Position), Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Malcolm &amp; Dani are engaged, Nightmares, Restraints, Vaginal Sex, coming together, martin is a terrible father</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:22:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27992640</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AShortWalkToDelinquency/pseuds/AShortWalkToDelinquency</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm game if you are," Dani challenges and then pushes Malcom back down to the bed when he tries to sit up. Swats away his fingers when he goes to undo the restraints around his wrists.</p><p>Malcolm takes the gestures for what they are, a claim of power, and relaxes against the mattress, more than happy to let her call the shots.</p><p>Tonight, at least.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>12 days of XXXmas [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Focus on the Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their latest case is an unmitigated disaster. The killer taunts the police on social media for weeks, drawing first the attention of the city, then the county, then the entire world. And with all that pressure, the brass makes it painfully clear that if the killer isn't caught immediately, if the farce isn't put to an end before the mayor's office is embarrassed any further, then Gil might as well start packing his bags.</p><p>The threat is unfair, and it riles up the team to the point that they lose sight of the case, just for a moment, just until Gil calmly tells them that he'll handle the higher-ups and convinces Dani, JT, and Malcolm to focus on finding their killer. After that, it's three nights of round the clock casework and research and video surveillance review. It's cup after cup of over-brewed and stale station house coffee. It's cat-naps on the couch in Gil's office and take-out from whatever nearby restaurant happens to still open.</p><p>It's a trip to Claremont to seek Martin Whitly's insight on a criminal psychology that Malcolm can't quite pin down. </p><p>After nearly a year without any contact with his father, Malcolm finally caves. None of them are happy about it, least of all Malcolm himself, but all of them understand his decision, and Gil reluctantly gives the green light for the consult.</p><p>Dani refuses to let him go alone.</p><p>Malcolm refuses to let his fiancée anywhere near his father.</p><p>They've long since mastered the art of compromise, so Dani waits outside the second set of secure doors, far enough that The Surgeon won't catch sight of her, close enough to be near at hand if something goes wrong.</p><p>Close enough to pick up the pieces and hold Malcolm together when he emerges from his father's cell nearly an hour and a half later with a vacant look in his eyes and a tremor in his hand that slowly wends its way through his body as they make their way out of the facility. By the time they reach the street, he's shaking so hard that Dani has to slip her arm around his waist and practically drag him the last few feet to the SUV.</p><p>He doesn't have the strength or presence of mind to protest.</p><p>She maneuvers him into the backseat and then sprints to the other side, climbing in to sit next to him. He's still lost in the depths of his mind, still trapped exactly where Martin wants him, but he's vaguely aware of her tugging him against her and holding him tight, the heat of her body seeping into his, until the worst of the shaking abates. Until he can blink away the glassy sheen that's coating his eyes, separating him from the rest of the world.</p><p>Until he can explain to her, in broken and stuttering sentences that feel like they're being physically ripped from his lungs, that Martin is finished playing nice. That Doctor Whitly is no longer willing to maintain the caring-father charade — or even to tamp down on his psychopathic tendencies — now that Malcolm has proven just how little their relationship means to him, proven just how easily he's able to cut Martin out of his life.</p><p>Malcolm explains that if he wants Martin's insights into cases going forward, that it will be on Martin's terms.</p><p>And while Dani gently encourages Malcolm to keep talking, to let go of the fear that's nearly crippling him, to tell her what the fuck happened in the cell that left him flayed open like this, he can't bring himself to explain.</p><p>He refuses to let The Surgeon's influence anywhere near her, even through him.</p><p>But after a few moments of deep breathing and whispered reassurances, he calms enough to pass on the insights that Martin was able to provide into the psychopathy of their killer. Regardless of what the visit did to Malcolm, Martin was able to supply the final piece of the puzzle to complete Malcolm's profile.</p><p>And Malcolm was able to identify their killer.</p><p>Dani calls it in, and the concern saturating her voice is enough to convince Gil that she and Malcolm aren't needed for the arrest. So while Gil, JT, and a team of unis go off to track down their killer, Dani and Malcolm stay wrapped up in their little cocoon in the back of the car, neither of them in any hurry to move.</p><p>It feels like no time at all and all the time in the world before he can shake away the terror and the hurt that Martin inflicted, though the anxiety remains holding fast, a current that suffuses every nerve and every blood vessel. </p><p>So as Malcolm fully comes back to himself, they take a few extra minutes to breathe together, Dani's hand resting lightly over Malcolm's heart, before they're ready to move to the front seat, ready to release their hold on one another. </p><p>He moves slowly, the tremor still rocking his body and keeping him unbalanced in a way he's unaccustomed to, but he settles in and thanks Dani quietly as she helps him with his seatbelt when his trembling hands can't seem to manage the buckle, and soon they're on the road, getting closer and closer to home.</p><p>Even with his eyes closed and his head resting against the window, Malcolm can feel Dani's gaze flickering to him as she drives. Without even cracking open an eye, he shifts in his seat and reaches out to lay a warm hand on her knee, a promise that he'll be okay. Eventually. </p><p>The drive is quiet and the tension in the air seems to dissipate the further they get from Claremont. And while the anxiety still hums through Malcolm's veins, by the time Dani is expertly parking the SUV in front of the loft, he no longer feels like the terrified child that he was all those years ago.</p><p>He mostly just feels exhausted, though he knows sleep is not going to come easy.</p><p>Malcolm only realizes how long they must've been sitting in the SUV when Gil calls with an update before they've even made it up the stairs into the loft. Their suspect is in custody, currently in an interrogation room with JT and, if Gil's instincts are correct, is on the verge of making a full confession. He promises to keep them posted and tells them quietly but firmly to take care of each other before hanging up, leaving them in silence just outside the door.</p><p>The last of the tension in Malcolm's frame starts to fade at the news, knowing that his trip to Claremont was worthwhile, that everything he went through was for the very best of reasons. He's practically putty by the time Dani steers him into the loft, slowly and carefully stripping them both down and leading them to the bathroom.</p><p>For the most part, she focuses her attention on him, washing him slowly with tender touches to let him know that he's safe and loved, that Martin no longer has a hold on him and he doesn't need to be afraid any longer. And for the most part, he lets her. By the end of the shower, though, as the water is losing the sting of its initial heat, he attempts to return the favour. The tremor in his hand makes it more challenging than it should be, but she never comments on it, so he tries to ignore it as well.</p><p>They skip dinner – Malcolm couldn't eat even if he wanted to, and Dani lost her appetite watching Malcolm struggle against whatever demons Martin had invoked — opting to climb into bed together as soon as they're mostly dry, not even taking the time to throw on a pair of pyjamas.</p><p>Over the course of their relationship, Malcolm's night terrors have improved exponentially, to the point that he occasionally even sleeps without his restraints if he's feeling exceptionally calm and hasn't missed any doses of his medications. Most nights, though, he sleeps with only one, so Dani has space to curl up against him without getting tangled up in the strap.</p><p>Tonight, he insists on using both.</p><p>And when a flash of something far too close to heartbreak crosses over Dani's face at his insistence — even though it's just for a second, just until she can shape her face into something more neutral — Malcolm realizes that he can't do this anymore. Can't see Martin anymore. Not when it hurts Dani like this.</p><p>But that's something to discuss tomorrow, he decides. When he's not so broken down. When she's not so damn worried about him.</p><p>So they fall asleep with Dani draped over Malcolm's chest and Malcolm idly tugging at the ends of her curls (it's all he can reach with his wrists restrained as they are), with promises to do better and promises to still be there in the morning, with a few tears that dampen their pillowcases, and with a tidal wave of love that swallows them both and sweeps them out into the sleep of the bone-weary and utterly exhausted.</p><p>~~~</p><p>The nightmares slip in through the cracks of his mind, billowing in like a dense, noxious smoke that smothers any light that dares to shine through. He tries to fight them, tries with every ounce of strength he has, but, like with Martin, he never stands a chance.</p><p>His body twists violently, nearly dislocating his shoulder in his efforts to get away and very nearly succeeding in throwing Dani from the bed in the process. When he finally wakes up, it's with a scream so loud that it cuts through the miasma of his nightmare and leaves a tangy hint of blood on the back of his tongue.</p><p>"Bright," Dani calls for what must be the hundredth time, her hands bracketing his face as she tries to get his attention, tries to pull him from the depths of the hellscape that is his mind. "Babe, look at me. You're safe. I'm here with you."</p><p>She stays calm (she always stays calm) and keeps a steady flow of words pouring from her lips, a babbling brook that starts to soothe his battered psyche before he can even attach any meaning to the words she's saying. His body responds faster than his brain, allowing her to maneuver him back down onto his pillow so she can lay mostly on top of him.</p><p>They discovered, quite by accident, that having her weight on him, having the smell of her surrounding him, helps to ground him and pull him back to the present faster than anything else. So she crawls over him, and lays her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, waiting until it's settled before she looks up to see if he's well and truly back.</p><p>"Hey," she says, hardly a whisper, when she looks up and finds him gazing back down at her</p><p>"Hey," he whispers back, the word sticking to his tongue. He swallows once and then darts his tongue out to wet his lips. He's still feeling shaken but the nightmare is fading away like mist in the sun, leaving behind a vague feeling of dread with no memory of why he feels that way. "Sorry."</p><p>She arches an eyebrow and he can see the retort on her pursed lips, but she holds it back. She's told him more times than he can count to quit apologizing for things he can't control, but he never stops feeling terrible when he wakes her like this.</p><p>The little flash of annoyance at his apology is oddly reassuring, something to remind him just how real this is, how real <em>she</em> is, and it helps loosen the knots that are tied up inside of him.</p><p>"You wanna talk about it?" she asks, and even in the dim light that filters through the window, he can make out the sincerity of the question. Knows that if he says yes, she'll get up with him and they'll make tea and curl up next to each other on the couch and she'll let him run his fingers along the strands of her hair as they talk because they both know it's easier for him to talk about what's wrong if his hands are busy.</p><p>"Not yet," he smiles sadly.</p><p>They'll talk about everything soon enough. Just not while he's feeling quite so raw. Thankfully, Dani understands and accepts that immediately, dropping a kiss to his chest, next to where her hand is splayed flat over the left side of his chest.</p><p>"What can I do?"</p><p>"Keep being you."</p><p>She rolls her eyes, but there's a softness on her face that says she knows how serious he really is.</p><p>There are still days that he can't believe his luck; that she chose him, that they're going to spend the rest of their lives together. And as he looks down on her right now, her hair tumbling over his chest as she plants chaste kisses over his skin wherever she can reach without really moving, he's struck by his good fortune all over again.</p><p>"I love you," he says, wishing he had better words to offer, something that could truly convey his feelings for her.</p><p>"I know," she looks up with a playful smirk, but the way her eyes dart over his face is a dead giveaway for the fact that she's testing the waters, checking in on his mental state by gauging his reaction. When the corners of his lips tick up, her smirk turns into a full blown smile, brightening her face in a way that always manages to steal his breath away. "I love you, too."</p><p>The thing that gets him, that makes his stomach flutter every time she says those words, is that he knows she means them. He tries not to profile her anymore, he really does, but he can't just turn it all off. It doesn't work like that. So he sees the markers of honesty written on every line of her face, sees the truth shining bright in her eyes.</p><p>"You're not about to get all mushy on me, are you?" Dani grins up at him, more relaxed now that she knows he's okay. He's not the only one in this relationship that's able to read the deeper emotions hidden beneath the surface.</p><p>Malcolm chuckles and the last of his nightmare cracks and falls away from him like a thin film of ice on a sunny winter day. "Maybe," Malcolm says honestly, but at her exaggerated eye roll he teases, "though I'm sure I can think of something we can do to keep me from becoming overly sentimental."</p><p>He's joking, mostly, but even the dim light from the streetlights outside can't hide the flash of light in her eyes at the insinuation. He tries to conceal the surprise that he's sure flickers across his face, but she suddenly looks ready to pounce and he knows she most definitely picked up on it.</p><p>"Really?" he asks as she pushes herself up and tosses the blanket off of them both, the chill of the air making his skin prickle as soon as the warmth abruptly dissipates. "It's the middle of the night."</p><p>He's not complaining. He's <em>really</em> not complaining. But neither of them have slept for more than a couple hours at a stretch in days, and the visit to Claremont was emotionally taxing on them both.</p><p>Though perhaps, he realizes, that's exactly why this is a good idea right now.</p><p>"I'm game if you are," Dani challenges and then pushes Malcom back down to the bed when he tries to sit up. Swats away his fingers when he goes to undo the restraints around his wrists.</p><p>Malcolm takes the gestures for what they are, a claim of power, and relaxes against the mattress, more than happy to let her call the shots.</p><p>Tonight, at least.</p><p>She leans down and brushes their lips together, somehow still tasting like the grapefruit lip balm she used before bed. He swipes his tongue across her lower lip, but instead of letting him in, she nips at his lip in response, tugging it between her teeth and pulling back until it slides free of her grip.</p><p>Malcolm huffs out a breath, chasing after her kisses as she looks down at him from above. With how she's sitting now — her back to the half-moon window — he can't actually see her warm brown eyes looking back at him, but he can feel the heat of her gaze, feel the first stirrings of interest in his dick.</p><p>"Yes," Malcolm breathes. </p><p>She leans down to plant one last kiss on his lips before she shuffles around on the bed, crawling up to his head and turning to face the foot of the bed before tossing one knee over Malcolm's head.</p><p>He moans before she even has a chance to lower herself, aching for the chance to taste her. His hands automatically shoot up, aiming to hold her hips, to steady her and feel her skin beneath his fingers, but the restraints jangle and jerk his arms back towards the mattress well before he reaches his goal.</p><p>The quiet laugh that breaks the night tells him she noticed the movement, but before he has a chance to voice the unfairness of the situation, she's pressing herself lightly against his lips and suddenly his mouth is otherwise occupied in the best way possible. He starts with small kitten licks to warm her up but the minute her taste hits his tongue he wants nothing more than to bury himself deep inside of her and let her juices flood over his tongue.</p><p>He holds himself back, though, lapping lightly over her labia and circling around her clit, purposefully ignoring that little bundle of nerves for the time being. She's not the only one that can tease.</p><p>The smell of Dani, like this, directly above him, fills his entire world and suddenly his cock is filling, too, twitching to life where it's resting against the crease of his thigh. </p><p>He's never gotten so hard so easily for someone as he does for Dani. She doesn't even need to touch him for his body to react to her presence; he just needs her intoxicating smell.</p><p>He hums as he places a gentle kiss to Dani's clit, and the vibration leaves her rocking against his face, searching for more. And he's more than happy to give it to her. He forgets about his rapidly growing cock as he goes all out, licking and lapping and sucking at her folds, darting his tongue as deep as he can inside of her before moving back to her clit for lightning fast flicks of his tongue that make her thighs tremble around his head.</p><p>He wishes he had the use of his hands, to spread her open so he can dive in deeper, but he doesn't have long to dwell on it because her lips unexpectedly wrap around his cock and he lets out a startled yelp and only <em>just</em> manages to keep from bucking up into the warmth of her mouth. </p><p>"Fuck," he breathes out as she starts slowly bobbing on his cock, pausing every few passes to lick over the frenulum or drop tiny kisses to the slit. It takes well over a minute for him to remember he was actually doing something, and only when she gives her hips a little shimmy above his head.</p><p>An exhilarated laugh bubbles up from deep inside of him but it's quickly cut off as he buries his face in her pussy, working her with the same urgency that she's working him. </p><p>They tease one another occasionally, but when a teasing movement on one end leads to a matching maneuver on the other end (and exasperated groans and laughter from them both), they seem to reach an unspoken agreement and knuckle down, working to bring the other off.</p><p>Which is why, as Malcolm's tongue is darting inside of Dani like a sloppy french kiss, he's shocked when she hollows her cheeks and pulls of his cock with a loud <em>pop</em> as she pulls herself off of his face. His mouth follows after her, head and shoulders lifting off the bed as he chases her taste.</p><p>"What—" Malcolm's words stick in his throat, watching as she crawls down the bed and turns to face him with one of her blinding smiles as she straddles his hips and rocks her own, his achingly hard cock running along her slick folds. "Shit," he says, his head dropping back to his pillow.</p><p>He assumed they were just going to get each other off with their mouths, and he was just fine with that; it <em>is</em> the middle of the night, after all, and fuck if she's not the most delicious thing he's ever tasted. But it seems as though she's in the mood for more and he's sure as hell not going to argue.</p><p>Settling one palm flat on his chest — and he rolls his eyes at her breathy giggle when he flinches away from the sudden icy cold hand on his skin — she raises herself up, hovering over his cock as it strains to reach her wet heat.</p><p>Once again his hands reach out to her and once again they're jerked back by the pull of the leather around his wrists, but this time he lets out a small huff at being foiled once again.</p><p>"You're adorable when you pout," she says, shifting just enough for the tip of his cock to brush over her clit, her eyes fluttering closed as it does.</p><p>"I'm not pouting," he objects as he tries to wipe what very much <em>is</em> a pout from his face.</p><p>"Mmhmm." There's a twinkle in her eyes still that makes him weak, makes him want to keep her in bed forever where she doesn't need to don the armour that she wears when they're outside the safety of the loft. She's still feisty like this, still one of the strongest women he's ever met, but when she's less guarded, her inner beauty has the opportunity to really shine through.</p><p>He's pulled from his musings when, in what is possibly the kindest gesture she could ever make, she brings her free hand into a fist in front of her mouth and blows a hot breath into the tunnel of her palm and fingers before reaching down to wrap it around his cock and line him up.</p><p>His laughing, "Thank you," is met with a snicker and something that seems to start off as, "You're welcome," but quickly devolves into a quiet moan as she sinks down on his length, slowly taking him deep into her body. </p><p>Which is fine, because the ability to form words temporarily leaves him, as well.</p><p>When she's taken him all the way in, when she's settled on his lap, adjusting to how full she suddenly is, he brings his hands to her thighs and settles them on her reverently. It's the only part of her he can reach while he's tied down, and it simultaneously feels like not enough and everything he's ever wanted.</p><p>She takes a moment to rock back and forth, and already the friction is amazing as she clenches around him and grinds down. As she leans forward, still supporting herself on his chest, her breasts hang down, heavy and rounded and perfect and he aches to reach up and cup them, to tweak her nipples the way she likes so much, the way the drags <em>that sound</em> from deep inside of her, and once again he inwardly curses the restraints that are holding him back.</p><p>"You know," Malcolm says, sounding far breathier than he intended. He clears his throat and tries again, "I could give you a hand if you free me. Make you feel really good."</p><p>She tracks his gaze to her breasts, specifically to her nipples, pebbled and hard already, whether from lust or the cool air of the night, he doesn't know.</p><p>"Oh? Like this?" she asks as she brings her fingers to her nipples, rolling them both between thumb and forefinger, tugging them ever so slightly. But then she rises up on her knees, just a few inches, before she drops back into his lap and moans, "Or like this?"</p><p>"Fuck, yes," he groans as she sets a slow and steady pace, rising a little higher each time until he's just about slipping from her pussy with each rise, but just as he thinks he's going to come free, she drops back down, impaling herself on his cock with a hum that borders somewhere between a moan and a whine that makes him twitch inside of her. All the while, she tugs at her nipples, and cups her breasts exactly how he would if his hands were free.</p><p>And, God, she's a sight like this. Using her well defined quads, glutes, and abs to keep her balance as she rides him, the muscles contracting and releasing beneath her flawless skin, highlighted by the soft glow that illuminates her body around the deep shadows of the room. With her head tossed back and her curls cascading down her back, he's suddenly overtaken by how stunning she truly is.</p><p>"You're beautiful." As the words spill from his lips, she lowers her head to look down at him, eyes half-lidded with arousal. He doesn't just mean how she looks, and he knows she knows that by the soft smile that lights up her face. "I love you so much."</p><p>She drops herself into his lap and leans forward until their bodies are pressed flush together, her lips finding his in a kiss that feels like a declaration, a promise.</p><p>"I love you, too, Bright," she says, the taste of grapefruit landing on his tongue as she speaks against his mouth. She kisses him once more then pulls back, leaning over to undo his left restraint and then his right before she lifts her eyebrows in what is an obvious dare, the smirk on her face shouting loud and clear, <em>now what?</em></p><p>He doesn't give her long to wonder. He wraps a newly freed arm around her waist and flips them over, pinning her beneath him without ever pulling out of her tight heat.</p><p>Her breathless laugh fills the air, fills his heart, and he peppers her face with kisses before shifting himself to his knees and propping his elbows on the mattress beside her. When she clenches down around him, he knows he's good to move and he thrusts into her slowly, mimicking the pace she'd set to start.</p><p>"Is this payback for teasing you before?" Dani asks, a hint of mischief in the words.</p><p>Instead of answering, he snaps his hips forward, slamming into her with enough force that she throws an arm up over her head to brace herself on the headboard and lets out a surprised squeak that he knows she'll deny ever having made when he teases her about it later.</p><p>"More," she demands as soon as she gets her bearings.</p><p>Malcolm hasn't said no to her yet and he's not going to start now.</p><p>There's no more teasing, no more slow and steady, just both of their bodies working together towards one goal. Her hips lift to meet his every thrust as he fucks into her, his eyes trained on her face, drinking in every microexpression, living for every moan that falls from her lips.</p><p>It's not long before he's close, a tell-tale heat forming low in his gut, and he knows he's not going to last much longer. He bites down on his lip as he keeps the pace that's making Dani buck and moan and scrape her nails down his back — and that's <em>definitely</em> a good part of the reason why he's so damn close to the edge this soon — but it's not enough of a distraction.</p><p>"I'm close," he grunts. He shifts his weight to one arm, intending to reach between them and give her a hand but she stops him with a hand on his bicep.</p><p>"Don't stop," she damn near pleads. When he nods and settles back in position, fucking into her hard and fast, she slips her own hand down instead, and he can feel the movement of her fingers over her clit as she massages the nub, nearly as frantic in her ministrations as he is in his.</p><p>He makes the mistake of looking down between them — between the swell of her breasts and along the flat line of her stomach, down to where her hand is moving lightning fast over her pussy and with one last jerk of his hips, he's coming inside of her with a drawn out groan, filling her with his warm seed. </p><p>Fortunately, that last pump is all Dani needs, too, and she follows him over the edge almost immediately. Her inner walls clench around him, milking him of every last drop until his cock is twitching at the pressure around him and he pulls free of her heat with a ragged moan.</p><p>"Jesus, Bright," Dani huffs as he rolls off of her, both of them panting and sweat-soaked. "That was…"</p><p>"Amazing? Exceptional?" Malcolm flops down on the pillow beneath him with a massive grin. "Mind-blowing?"</p><p>"Shut up," she laughs, elbowing him in the ribs, but the satiated smile on her face lessens the blow. The way she curls up against him, resting her head on his shoulder doesn't hurt either. </p><p>They lay there quietly, catching their breath and brushing gentle touches along one another's arm or chest or face, relaxing until the chill of the loft becomes too much as their sweat cools and wicks away their heat. Then Malcolm drags Dani up and to the bathroom and they take turns getting cleaned up and ready for bed (again).</p><p>Crawling into bed this time around is a completely different experience. Dani's in sleep shorts and one of his old t-shirts, and he's tossed on his most comfortable pair of pyjama pants, for one. But more than that, he feels calm. Centered. At peace with himself and who he is.</p><p>He knows he shouldn't need the reminders, the reassurances that he's nothing like his father. But sometimes he does. Growing up, it was Gil who helped guide him back from the dark places that Martin would lead him into, a shining beacon to lead him gently back into the light.</p><p>Now…</p><p>Now he has Dani.  </p><p>And her presence alone is enough to remind him that he's nothing like Martin. Because someone as amazing and wonderful as Dani couldn't possibly love him if he were.</p><p>So when they settle into bed (again), curled around one another (again), he holds her close and takes a deep breath, inhaling her scent and thanking his lucky stars that she's decided to take this journey with him.</p><p>"Thank you," Malcolm says just before they start to drift off. "For everything."</p><p>She brings his unrestrained hand to her lips and presses a gentle kiss to his knuckles in lieu of a response, but it's more than enough for him. And he vows to himself that he's not going to put her through something like this ever again.</p><p>She may have become his light — she may have become his whole damn world, if he's honest with himself — but he doesn't want to put that weight on her. Especially not for the likes of Martin Whitly.</p><p>"I'm not going to see him any more."</p><p>He doesn't need to say anything more than that for her to understand the implications — for him, for them, for the job.</p><p>"I think that's a really good idea," she says around a yawn, words heavy with sleep.</p><p>He pulls her in just a little bit closer, feeling the way her body begins to go lax in his arms. He knows she's about to drift off but he needs to know, needs to be sure, in order to have any hope of sleeping for a few more hours. </p><p>"You're not worried about the cases?"</p><p>It takes a moment for her to answer and Malcolm wonders if, perhaps, she's already fallen asleep, but then her voice floats to him, quiet but firm. </p><p>"You never <em>needed</em> him, Bright. Not after the Berkhead case. You just convinced yourself that you did. You're more than capable of doing what you do on your own." </p><p>It's...not something he'd considered before. </p><p>But maybe, he thinks, she's right. </p><p>She's given him a lot to contemplate, but as he drifts off to sleep, hopeful that he won't be plagued by night terrors this time, he realizes he has all the time in the world to think on it.</p><p>For now, though, with his soon-to-be wife in his arms, Malcolm decides to focus on the light in his life, rather than the dark.</p><p>And his future looks brilliant.</p>
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